'I didn't have boots to play football': Antony opens up on his humble upbringing before realizing United dream

In an interview with Sky Sports, Antony has given a revealing explanation of his roots, saying: “I was just a humble little boy from a favela. I was just a humble little boy from a favela.

“I didn't have a bedroom, I slept on the sofa. I lived in the very middle of the favela. Twenty yards from my house there were drug dealers. Sometimes you would be watching a game on a Sunday and there would be that smell, a smell of cannabis coming into the house.

“There were moments, my brother, my sister and I would cry and hug each other thinking about our lives.  There were times in the middle of the night, we were bailing water out of our flooded house, but we'd still do it with a smile on our faces.”

Antony has come a long way in his life from his difficult upbringing to have become the most expensive player sale in Eredivisie after Man United shelled out €100m to get him from Ajax.

The Brazilian winger has had a pretty decent start for the Red Devils, scoring in his debut against Arsenal and looking sharp on the right-wing.

Source: Sky Sports